Donna Schofield is the Library Services Manager for the University Hospital of South Manchester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which has a Global Health Link with the Regional Hospital and University in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

As part of the wider health link programme Donna met the Acting University Librarian of Gulu University, Ongaya Kizito, and the Head of the new Medical Library at Gulu Medical Faculty, Onen Walter Yagos. The Faculty of Medicine’s new library was then without shelves, but this did not inhibit lively discussions about the priorities for its development. Unfortunately internet access is poor, making it impossible to access the free electronic journals provided through open access initiatives e.g. HINARI. They will stay in contact to combine their expertise as the library develops.

On the other hand the Regional Referral Hospital had no library at all, hence there are no information resources for nurses in Gulu (medics can use the Faculty of Medicine Library). But the reaction of the Head Nurse was both supportive and positive about finding space for a library. A proposal to this effect will be taken forward by Donna and Tracy Holdsworth (Head of Training) who accompanied her.

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About jgreigshaw

I work with Partnerships in Health Information which promotes partnership between libraries in Africa and the UK with an emphasis in African leadership. I have visited Kenya, Mali, Uganda and Zambia though Phi has contacts in many more African countries.